Ion Getter and Titanium Sublimation Pumps

Vacuum creation with ion getter pumps

Before the triumph of turbo molecular pumps, ion getter pumps (IGP) were used for almost every vacuum application that required pressures in the high vacuum range of < 10-6 mbar. Nowadays, IGPs with greater pumping speeds are mainly used within pressure ranges of < 10-9 mbar. For those applications, IGPs remain the cleanest and most efficient method for achieving an ultra high vacuum.Ion getter pumps capture and hold gas molecules by converting them into solid compounds and binding them in the pump. Thereby, IGPs maintain a vacuum even when not in operation. They do not have any moving parts and are therefore ideal for closed systems that require reliable long-term operation.In addition, ion getter pumps work absolutely vibration- and shock-free at a very low energy consumption level. Maintenance is minimal throughout the entire lifetime.

Typical applications

The list of applications for IGPs is very diverse. They form an integral part of scientific instruments, such as in accelerator physics, mass spectrometry and surface analysis.Furthermore, IGPs are used in the manufacturing of vacuum tubes, in the development and production of semiconductor devices, in space simulations, and many other areas. Spacial attention should be brought to the applications in electron microscopy and electron beam lithography. Although relatively high pressures are common here, IGPs are essential for these applications because they are absolutely vibration-free.